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FONA in Geneva hosts teachers during institute day

Flavor company shares science of taste with teachers

FONA International in Geneva hosted and taught 55 teachers from area schools through its Discover FONA community education program March 2

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As part of teachers’ annual institute day, FONA International in Geneva hosted educators so they could learn the science behind food and flavors, perform experiments, tour the facility and taste-test.

GENEVA – FONA International in Geneva hosted and taught 55 teachers from area schools through its Discover FONA community education program March 2, the company announced in a news release.

As part of teachers’ annual institute day, educators learned the science behind food and flavors, performed experiments, toured the facility and taste-tested, the release stated.

The goal was to provide teachers with ways to expand students’ and their own knowledge of the science behind their food, plus open potential career paths.

“We’ve found that teaching a student food and flavor science is fantastic, but when you spend the day with a teacher, that knowledge gets multiplied,” FONA’s Community Education Director Katie Sudler stated in the release.

Naperville North teacher Alyssa Girgis said she learned much to bring back to her classroom.

“Being the science teacher that I am, I love seeing all the ways chemistry is used and I love the little experiments to bring back to the classroom,” Girgis stated in the release. “But especially for the upperclassmen, I’m excited to even just let them know about the career path. ... ”

Included in the day were sessions and experiments on sensory science; analytical chemistry; taste modification and encapsulation, among others.

Rotations around the laboratory included tastings, including cola to learn sugar’s influence on taste; chocolate milk to learn the impact of fat on flavor delivery; and barbecue sauce, which is the culinary approach to flavor.